1. Field of the Invention
A method of producing a prosthetic device or orthotic brace comprising impregnating a carbon graphite fabric with resin to form a rigid support
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous efforts have been made to design and manufacture a light weight, durable orthotic brace. New materials now provide an opportunity to create new, more useful braces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,041 shows a lower limb orthotic comprising a foot orthotic, a pair of lateral supporting members, a detached or removable anterior support member, a posterior support member, and strips of composite materials to resist plantar flexion, dorsiflexion and various of movements of the foot and ankle. The lateral supporting members further having strips of composite materials having fibers orientation substantially parallel to the length wise axis of the lateral supporting members. The foot orthotic and posterior supporting member further have composite strips extending across the bottom portion of the foot orthotic and rear side of the posterior supporting member respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,007 teaches a method and apparatus for forming a custom fit knee orthotic including forming a flat preassembled knee orthotic of rigid carbon fiber and plastic resin composite material connected in a flat, rigid state by joint mechanisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,386 relates to an orthopedic brace using the shaped composite bars as integral components, and a method of thermoshaping the composite bars for use as filled components in the orthopedic brace are provided. The composite bars contain multiple fiber layers oriented in at least two directions with respect to the bar length to provide high flexural and torsional strength. The novel method of thermo-shaping yields improved results over prior thermo-shaping methods by providing an uncomplicated shaping capability while maintaining the structural and mechanical properties of the composite bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,501 shows a laminated, plastic orthotic device custom fitted to a wearer's extremity, typically a leg, wherein the orthotic includes a indicia bearing layer viewable on the outer surface of the orthotic. In one preferred embodiment, the device is fabricated from multiple layers of woven, reinforced and non-reinforced fabrics, adhesives, curable plastic resins and an image bearing layer. In other preferred embodiments, the device is fabricated of thermosetting plastic materials and an image bearing layer. The image layer may be comprised of woven fabric or non-woven materials which include drawings, insignias, photographs, textures or combinations thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,690 discloses a supporter for mounting on a limb in position to cover an affected body portion to constrain and limit movement thereof comprising a tubular stretchable elastic material forming a main body and reinforcing member comprising an interlining laminated to a surface member which acts to restrict the elongation of said interlining.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,090 shows a hybrid composite material constructed from woven reinforced fabrics of Kevlar 49 and biaxially reinforced fibers of graphite and E-Glass bonded together with a thermosetting adhesive, for the application of custom orthotics. The material interlocks different fibers at different locations of the orthotic in order to take advantage of the unique properties of each reinforcing fibers. The resulting material creates a hybrid composite that exhibits a balance of properties, in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, unavailable with any single reinforcing fibers. A method of orthotic manufacturing involves a hand lat-up and forming procedure. The constructed composite material is formed and pressed on a prescribed cast, then allowed to cure under pressure. The post-cured material is stripped from the cast, then cut and ground and finally finished to the required orthotic. The produced orthotic combines the desired feature of a thin section with excellent combination of properties relevant to custom orthotics. Such properties include light weight, high strength and modulus, excellent resistance to impact, fatigue, and creep, and outstanding ability to damp vibrations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,955 teaches the thigh and calf bands of a knee orthotic formed of a layer or layers or curable composite material. The sidebars are integral with the thigh and calf bands in that they are simply extensions of the layers forming the thigh and calf bands. The sidebars are cured prior to fitting the thigh and calf bands about the leg, but the thigh and calf bands are left incurred so that they may be formable about the leg and cured in place thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,530 discloses a method of applying an orthopedic cast to an injured body portion consisting of braiding a tubular cast, in situ, around the injured body portion. A braiding machine applies the tubular braid of fibrous casting yarns around the injured body portion to form a braided cast which conforms to the shape of the injured body portion. The braided cast is then coated with a matrix material, which provides the necessary rigidity to the cast, yet allows the cast to breathe.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,163 shows a light weight, semi-rigid snap on orthopedic splint having a flexible sheet plastic main body laminated to a thick spongy layer and equipped with long shallow channels for the insertion of flexible reinforcing splints. The edges of the main body are provided with a suitable adjustable fastener as one having a multiplicity of L-shaped ribs which interlock selectively in different overlapped positions as necessary to form a snug fit with a limb or any part of the body and notched crosswise of the ribs to adapt the splint for assembly about a tapering portion of the body as a limb.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,040,740 discloses a prefabricated article for incorporation under surgical casts and molds comprising a plurality of superimposed concentrically disposed seamless tubular layers of loosely knit cotton cloth. Each layer of cloth is formed of intercoupled threads in co-acting relationship with each other with certain threads intersecting other threads at juncture points forming oblique angles and defining open interstices therebetween with the distance between adjacent juncture points along any thread being greater than the diameter of any of the threads so that when pulled the layers of cloth will deform without stretching the intercoupled threads by having the juncture points which are generally aligned to the direction of pull separating a substantial amount in relation to each other and the juncture points which are generally aligned transversely to the direction of pull covering a substantial amount in relation to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,523 relates to a splint device for splinting and immobilizing the lower leg, ankle, and foot including L-shaped inner core member having a slightly cupped heel portion, a horizontal basal portion extending frontally from the heel portion and a slightly curved vertical portion extending upwardly from the heel portion. A flexible foam cover is disposed on the core member to form a body of the splint device which is positionable against the lower leg, heel, and plantar surface of the foot, the cover being sized and configured to fully conceal the core member therewithin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,483 shows a immobilizing apparatus for an injured body part including a rigid plate conforming to the injured body part and having two opposite faces, upon one of which the injured body part is provided; a limiting unit to limit the lateral movement of the injured body part on the rigid plate; an adjustable member by which the overall length of the rigid plate can be adjusted; and a fastening member to fasten the injured body part, immobilizing the injured body part on the rigid plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,383 discloses a securing apparatus for an ankle and foot orthotic brace. The brace is used for supporting and selective immobilization of a patient's ankle and foot. The brace has a multiple part L-shaped construction with a contoured leg support portion and a foot portion having a resilient interconnecting heel portion connected therebetween. The securing apparatus includes a foot pad with aperture tabs extending therefrom and being part of the foot portion. A fabric foot engagement enclosure is provided which secures to the foot pad by a plurality of adjustable fastening straps engaged through said apertures to the aperture tabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,659 relates to a device for treatment of foot and ankle conditions comprising a rigid, molded shell having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and a flat foot bed covered by a soft fabric covering. Removable and interchangeable foot bed wedge insert permits the angle of dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion and eversion to be varied.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,515 shows a ankle-foot orthotic of a carbon fiber reinforced material having low weight is carried on the front of the lower leg, extending over the lateral ankle and preventing plantar flexion. The ankle-foot orthotic comprises a frame of thin flexible material extending over the front of the lower leg, anterior of the lateral ankle and beneath the sole of the foot and a supporting portion of rigid material extending over a narrow part of the front of the lower leg, anterior of the lateral ankle and beneath the part of the sole of the foot. The orthotic includes a fastening means for fastening the orthotic to the leg. In a preferred embodiment the orthotic comprises a substantially inflexible reinforcement element and a tough flexible element, the reinforcement element extending over a narrow part of substantially the whole frame and the flexible part extending over a substantial part of the sole of the foot. The frame is preferably made of thin flexible fiber glass reinforced plastic resin material. The reinforcement element is made of rigid carbon fiber reinforced plastic resin material. With the tough flexible element is preferably made of aramid fiber reinforced plastic resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,349 describes a copolymer thermoplastic natural foot orthotic for supporting and controlling the movement of a lower extremity. The orthotic is fabricated by forming a positive mold of the lower extremity and modifying the positive mold in predetermined locations to accomplish the type of lower extremity control desired. A strip of heated thermoformable copolymer material is strategically positioned around predetermined locations on the positive mold for providing increased support for the natural foot orthotic at these predetermined locations. A sheet of heated thermoformable copolymer material is then drape mold around the positive mold and copolymer strip wherein the copolymer sheet is vacuum sealed to conform to the shape of the positive mold. The copolymer sheet and copolymer strip are integrally formed into a single supporting structure. After the thermoformed copolymer sheet and strip have cooled, trimlines are made in the thermoformed copolymer sheet depending upon the lower extremity control desired wherein all excess material outside of the trimlines is removed. Utilizing modifications to the positive mold and strategically positioned trimlines in conjunction with the reinforcing copolymer strip, a natural foot orthotic is achieved that is lighter, cosmetically superior, dynamic and durable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,618 teaches a ankle-foot orthotic made integrally from a thin, shaped lightweight material. The orthotic comprises a flat foot-supporting member for extending beneath the sole of a foot of a user, a calf abutment member for abutting the calf of the user, a narrow connecting member extending from the foot-supporting member at a location on one side, preferably the outer side, of the ankle of the user to the calf abutment member so as to interconnect the foot-supporting member and the calf abutment member, and a releasable fastener for fastening the calf abutment member to a leg of the user. The orthotic may be made by a method, in which a thermoplastic material with reinforcing fibers is arranged between opposite plastic films or foils in a desired mutual arrangement. Thereafter, the space defined between the opposite films is sealed, and air or gas is then removed from the sealed space so as to compact the material arranged therein and so as to form a blank. The blank thus formed is thereafter heated to a plasticizing temperature and formed into the desired shape.
G.B. Pat. No. 2,188,550 shows a calf band which is to pass around the leg, has a central portion connected to the upper end portion of a posterior leaf spring and two lateral portions which are to overlap in front of the leg and which are connected together by suitable means. The central portion provides a cushion between the upper end portion and the calf.